I don't know what it is, but this is the second time in about five weeks that some knucklehead just drives right toward me whilst i am driving my gargantuan Dodge pickup.

Today I was driving along on a one way two lane road in Lafayette in my Dodge. The road curved to the left, both lanes and then straightened. Beside me was an elderly man and woman in a black Buick. We both made the turn just fine and I was not concerned about them because we had made the turn and who would run into me on the straightaway?

But NOOOOOOOOOOO! Next thing I know the infernal Buick is 6" from my left front fender and coming my way fast.

So I hit the brakes and steer to the right. I had no time to make any choices, it was react instinctively or be hit. I squeezed to the right and glanced off the curb as I scrubbed off speed and he squeezes by without hitting me.

I am totally stunned....but gather it all up and catch him at the light and write down the license number. The wheel is not vibrating or anything so I go on to my office and park. Upon examination the sidewall does not appear torn but is a bit scuffed.

I am flabbergasted that folks can miss seeing my truck!

If I had had time to consider my options I perhaps should have just let him hit me but I really had no time for consideration of options.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I drove my late aunt's Buick a few times. You cannot tell where the sides of the car are, nor where the hood ends, in that thing. This, coupled with the nearly dead at the wheel, are a sure way to be on the express lane to the everlasting slumber, whilst pushing up daisies.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

This is why we recommend flying.

But seriously – Glad to hear you made it through without injury to you or the truck.
Good action/reaction driving. Hats off to ya.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

glad no sheet metal got re-arranged...
Manditory yearly drivers test after age 65, special plates/stickers for over age 65.


In my tracker, I know where the yield signs are that nobody pays attention too. As long as I'm 100% in the right, and not gonna die if it happens, I'm not going to bounce off a curb to save somebody the cost of my fender...

I kinda wanna get some crash damage on it anyways, might look cool...
~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

Yeah, might have been better.....

Just can't stop my cat- like reflexes though!

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

...........time to put a decent air horn on that truck, Tom..........that'll move 'em back into lane in a hurry.

Nate –
I just gotta ask.
I see the “68W Combat Medic” on your sig.

You wouldn’t by chance be a DustOff Medic would you?
If so – Will you be attending the DustOff Reunion in SanAntonio next month?

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

Or into the on-coming lane.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

I was actually run off I-270 in Maryland a couple months ago by some moron in a Lexus. I was in the left lane and he just decided he needed to be in that lane NOW. I ended up on the grass shoulder doing 70. Good thing I was in the Suburban as it had no problem going off-road at that speed, but I mean How can you NOT see a 30 foot long SUV with daytime running lights in the lane?

I think most drivers especially around the DC area are either morons or flying on auto pilot. Good thing for cat-like reflexes!

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"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

Maybe they're drunken or on drugs, you never know.

Yeah, I'd like to get a really good air-horn on my truck....a TRAIN air-horn!
Or one off a tug-boat. Something that Really makes noise.

Cripes, Tom. You sure seem to have a target on you. It's a good thing you do all that autocrossing to keep your skills and instincts sharp!

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Seriously they could be drunken. As for IN, I think Indiana might have more drunken drivers than other places. The scariest thing we ever saw was when we were on the way from Chicago to Kentucky, just outside of Indianapolis we saw a car swerving wildly from lane to lane, all over the place, awful, last thing you'd expect to see in Mrs Brady's homestate lol. Finally my dad just pulled over and waited for about 15 minutes because he didn't know if he should speed up and just get around the car or what. Another time in Carmel we saw a woman hit a parked car, then she backed up and drove forward and hit it again. Both cases my father said they most have been drunken, both in IN.

I don't know if we have more than other places or not. I have not heard that. I read we are fatter than most places though.

I also know that the judges do not slap drunks on the hand any more like they did 30 years ago.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

It's a different world out there on the roads than it used to be.

There are many more potholes due to aging infrastructure.

Drivers testing never happens in NJ in any way, shape or form anytime after you get your license. This alone is extremely frightening.

Assume 10-20% of the people on the road are on something, be it prescription drugs, illegal drugs, or simply alcohol, or lighting/fiddling with a cigarette because they can't even smoke in the parking lot at work.

People use the right hand lane as their own personal highway and aggressively and closely pass on the left when forced to, while I'm doing the speed limit or more in the right lane of a 3 lane road!

There's the whole cell phone thing, where when they're doing it illegally, no officer enforces, which is maddening.
Coincidentally, I counted today at a traffic light. 9 out of 40 cars that went through had people yakking on hand held cell phones, where it is illegal to do so here in glorious NJ. There was a police officer sitting nearby at the same light, easily able to start a pursuit. He was pointed facing with a speed camera, and all these folks drove right past him on their cells.

To combat this to the best of my ability, I do the following:
Always keep 1 car length for every 10mph between me and the person in front of me.

I don't eat or drink in my car while driving.

I have a nice parabolic rear view mirror clipped on over the original.
This alone has allowed me to see a huge number of things and avoid them.

I never use the cell phone while driving except to answer a call, and then pull over quickly to talk. I put the phone down and tell them to hold on while I pull over.

I assume (yes assume) that people will move into the incorrect lane on a double lane turn as Tom mentioned and let them go first.

I need to get an "old man" hat to ward off people even more.
If you saw an old benz with someone driving wearing a hat, wouldn't you steer clear?

The only time people can get away with acting aggressively these days is on the road, where the likelihood of being caught is quite minimal, unless you do something really over the top.

People are stressed out over jobs, family, now I guess mortgages, the US place in the world, the economy, etc., but the road when you are alone in your car is the only refuge some people have and some choose to have a little more liberty with that fact than they should which impacts safety.

A large factor of picking my current job was the fact that it's against traffic both ways, and also the opposite direction of the sun both ways.

Every work morning day, I see a huge traffic line going East with sun glare, practically if not completely stopped at points with the badly timed traffic lights, and the same happens on my way home with the majority going West, while I'm Eastbound. Easily 99% of the people are each in their own vehicle with SUVs being about 60%, even with these gas prices.

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85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."